emble. If we beleue as we speak, what is that we feare? to be
happy? to be at our ease? to be more content in a mom[en]t, then we
might be in the longest mortal life that might be? or must not
we of force confesse, that we beleue it but in part? that all we
haue is but words? that all our discourses, as of these hardie
trencher knights, are but vaunting and vanitie? Some you shall
see, that wil say: I know well that I passe out of this life
into a better: I make no doubt of it: only I feare the midway
step, that I am to step ouer. Weak harted creatures! they wil
kill th[em]selues to get their miserable liuing: suffer infinite
paines, and infinite wounds at another mans pleasure: passe
infinit deaths without dying, for things of nought, for things
that perish, and perchance make them perish with them. But when
they haue but one pace to passe to be at rest, not for a day,
but for euer: not an indifferent rest, but such as mans minde
cannot comprehende: they tremble, their harts faile them, they
are affrayde: and yet the ground of their harme is nothing but
feare. Let them neuer tell me, they apprehend the paine: it is
but an abuse: a purpose to conceale the litle faith they haue.
No, no, they would rather languish of the goute, the sciatica,
any disease whatsoeuer: then dye one sweete death with the least
paine possible: rather pininglie dye limme after limme,
outliuing as it were, all their sences, motions, and actions,
then speedily dye, immediatly to liue for euer. Let them tell me
no more that they would in this world learne to liue: for euery
one is therevnto sufficiently instructed in himselfe, and not
one but is cunning in the trade. Nay rather they should learne
in this world to dye: and once to dye well, dye dayly in
themselues: so prepared, as if the ende of euery dayes worke,
were the ende of our life. Now contrarywise there is nothing to
their eares more offensiue, then to heare of death. Senseless
people! we abandon our life to the ordinarie hazards of warre,
for seauen franks pay: are formost in an assault, for a litle
bootie: goe into places, whence there is no hope of returning,
with danger many times both of bodies and soules. But to free vs
from all hazards, to winne things inestimable, to enter an
eternall life, we faint in the passage of one pace, wherein is
no difficultie, but in opinion: yea we so faint, that were it
not of force we must passe, and that God in despite of vs will
doe vs a good turne